Chapter 7 - Old Haunts, New Challenge (CitC)
Sure enough, the SS Cloansar only reached the Clubba Kingdom after two more days of travel than it would normally take. They came unscarred, of course, having not seen so much of a plank of an enemy vessel, although they did have an interesting encounter with Kremlings just out of the Kremling Islands. It was half an hour past midnight, with Aaron keeping watch on the Crow's Nest. Tubba himself had been patrolling the decks at those hours. Ever since Clubbar told him he wouldn't be King when he returned, he had found difficulty going to sleep. What did you expect? ''He had berated himself, ''that they'd all just roll over and let you be King again? You should be glad the Clubba Kingdom has done well without you. Well, would you call being attacked and having yet ''another ''King die in battle a success? ''Another voice shot back, before Tubba exclaimed, loudly, "Get out of my head!" Aaron, of course, on the Crow's Nest, had given him a very odd look. Tubba gave him a hand gesture which involved his two outermost fingers staying flat and the middle one rising, being he only had three fingers on each hand. Before Aaron could respond in a similar obscene gesture(despite the fact Ruff Puffs lack hands), both Tubba and Aaron caught a glimpse of something ploughing through the water nearby. It had turned out to be a Kremling ship. Both ships stopped, and Tubba and Aaron alerted Clubbar. After a few minutes of talking, the Kremlings sailed away. Clubbar, however, waited till they were out of sight before getting the SS Cloansar moving again. "Turns out the Kremlings were on their way to the Mushroom Kingdom." Clubbar had said, "it was International waters, so neither of us were trespassing. Although, I'm sure the SS Cloansar could've blown their tiny ship out of the water. I also gave the Kremlings a tip of 10 BeanBean Coins to set a castle in the Mushroom Kingdom on fire." Aside from the fact Clubbar had contracted someone to comitting arson on a building of immense historical value, the crew also found the fact the Kremlings under the impression they could dictate talks with the Clubbas very amusing. It was just one of many talks at dinner, and Tubba found himself having the time of his life in the evenings with his battling colleagues. While most of them hated him as an extension of hating Chubba, he found under the influence of Chuckola Cola, they were much easier to talk to. As always, his friend Gonzales was the one who he talked to the most, having been his friend for nearly two decades at this point. But of course, the good times aboard the SS Cloansar didn't last. Aside from the battlers, most of whom hadn't sailed much, getting seasick, the trip seemed over in no time, even after the extended two days. Tubba reflected he didn't resent taking the long way anymore. When they docked at Clubba Cliff temporarily to unload, the battlers good times over the flagon of Chuckola Cola vanished. Rather than a peaceful, happy town, Gusty Gulch had changed for wartime. Tubba, having never been in Gusty Gulch during wartime(the Clubba Kingdom had fought two wars in his lifetime, and he was in the Zaz Kingdom for the first) was shocked by what he saw. "What have they done to the place, Gonzales?" He asked his friend as they reached the top of Clubba Cliff and examined the houses where the Clubba families were living. Rather than the fun-loving place with Clubbas outside talking to each other, the streets were deserted. Tubba even spotted a tumbleweed rolling around. The windows of houses were boarded up beyond the glass, the doors were locked, and few Clubbas stopped to meet the battlers' eyes as they hurried to a house. "Wartime." Gonzales sighed. "Especially when we're under attack like this, it pits Clubba against Clubba. Rations, you know." Glancing back for Clubbar, all Tubba saw were the other battlers limping up the steep cliff, carrying suitcases and other items of personal belonging. Meloetta was bringing up the rear. Letting the other battlers walk ahead of him, he dropped to Meloetta. "Where's Clubbar?" She jerked her head(or her entire body?) back toward the dock. "He's putting the ship in the hangar. He said to go up to the Castle without him." Hoisting his club over his right shoulder, Tubba continued after her. He had put everything he owned in the red suitcase in his left hand. He didn't trust Chubba to not make a mess of his things back at the Glitz Pit. Briefly wondering how the Glitz Pit would do now that all the battling was closed, Tubba trekked after all the other battlers. Tubba had last been in Gusty Gulch two years ago, but that was a brief visit. The last time he had been in Clubba Castle was his departure with Chubba. How much could change in that time? ''A lot, probably. ''Or, you know, they could've kept it exactly the same. ''The same counter-voice piped up, prompting Tubba to yell "Shut up!" Shazam, the closest to him, because his tiny legs were easily outstripped by the floating Meloetta, took a look back. Tubba gave him the same hand gesture he delivered to Aaron. Shazam turned around immediately. Being the last to come up to the Castle, Tubba was not impressed when he saw that the other battlers were hovering around the front door. He could hear Xavier having an argument with a Clubba guard. "Sorry, but no! You expect me to let a group of random people into the Castle in wartime? Unless you can prove who you are, no entry!" The Clubba Guard was explaining to Xavier, who was not very impressed. "I WANT TO ENTER THIS CASTLE!" Xavier roared, poking the Clubba in his very thick belly scales. "LET ME IN!" Gonzales pushed his way to the front, his hair weaving in and among the battlers so it looked very much like an orange fish. "Sir, I think that you will remember me. I am Gonzales, a former resident of Gusty Gulch." The Clubba Guard shook his head. "Sorry, but still no entrance, unless there's some identification." Gonzales groaned, then turned to the rest of the battlers. "I guess we'll just have to wait for Clubbar, guys." Tubba sighed. Pushing his way past the battlers to the front, he brandished a tiny, gold shard at the Clubba Guard. Inscribed on the shard was half an insignia; the shard was clearly part of something bigger. "That's half the insignia of the old Crown Prince regalia." The Clubba Guard peered at it, "but it was destroyed years ago!" "By me, yes." Tubba groaned, slapping a hand to his head. Casting an awkward look around at the battlers; he still hadn't told them his story, Tubba continued. "I'm the former Crown Prince Tubba. You must remember me?" To his displeasure, the Clubba Guard shook his head. "Sorry, the Prince Tubba I knew had pink lips, and didn't have lice in his hair." "It's not lice!" Tubba snarled before he could stop himself, "it's DYE!" "This is ridiculous." A high, female voice boomed, and the doors to the Castle opened, revealing the silhoutte of a female Clubba. Tubba's mouth dropped open. It could not be, it simply could not be.